Mental Health Workshop Kicks Off Fall Fundraising For IAP

The Internships in Aging Project (IAP), with sponsorship from the Albany Guardian Society, will present a virtual workshop entitled, Older Adult Mental Health: The Worthy Challenge of Ensuring that a Long Life will be a Good Life, on November 3, 2021.

Presented by Marie Clouqueur, MSW/MA and Corina Laudate, MSW of McLean Hospital, the lecture is designed to educate the campus, clinicians, and the general public on the areas of mental health impacting older adults, as well as approaches to address them.

Linda Mertz, Director of the UAlbany Internships in Aging Project, said, “We are excited to partner with the Albany Guardian Society on this valuable and informative lecture. This workshop will also kick off the fall fundraising campaign for the IAP program.”

The School of Social Welfare’s IAP started in 2000 with a grant from the John A. Hartford Foundation. The goal of the project is to address the needs of seniors and to increase the number of professional social workers trained to meet their needs. IAP MSW students provide more than 5,000 hours of social services per year, as well as identify new needs and resources in the Capital District. 

Scholarships are critical for IAP students. Unlike the traditional MSW program, students enrolled in IAP are supported by scholarships because they spend one additional day each week at their field practicum. They have ‘rotations’ where they are able to work in different settings that expose them to different aspects of aging, services, or needs. It provides more opportunities for students to gain experience working with older adults and their families before entering the field as a new professional.

“IAP was one of the best experiences I had. The scholarship and the care among my colleagues really got me through the program and opened my eyes to the needs of older adults. And it is so gratifying to be able to serve them,” said IAP graduate, Maria Mursh.

Although the November workshop is free and open to the public, donations are suggested and will directly benefit the IAP student scholarships. Donations to the scholarship fund can be entered when registering for the event or at the UAlbany Unite website.